A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Matthew McPherson, Mandy Karnauskas, Suzana Blake

  • This collection was created during the 2017-2018 red tide event that had major ecosystem impacts on the west coast of Florida. Fish harvesters and related businesses suffered major setbacks during this time. Fishers, with a long history on the water and oftentimes second or third generation involved in the fishing business, reminisce about how the ecosystem has changed during their and their families time and the red tides they have witnessed. The collection provides information on species affected, specific areas affected, as well as discussions related to adaptation behaviors and specific business impacts.

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Interviewee Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Patrick Gould A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Captain Gould has been backwater fishing for 25 years. He charters approximately 250 trips a year. He also fishes along the beach and up to five or six miles nearshore. He fished offshore briefly from ’95 to ‘99.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz Naples, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Kelly Kurtz A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Kelly Kurtz is a Sarasota native who has been chartering for the last ten years. He mostly fishes inshore but he fishes up to nine miles offshore as well. He talks about if there is another red tide he might have to get another job or a bigger boat so that he can work offshore.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz, Karla Gore Sarasota, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
John Hand A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

John Hand is a 4th generation Floridian. Originally from the Tampa area, he moved down to Everglades City and became a charter captain. John Hand does not allude to any specific Red Tide event, but gives insight to the environmental changes that are happening in the Everglades. The only Red Tide events he talked about occurred in the Tampa area.

Scope and Content Note

 Suzana Blake, Amanda Stoltz Everglades City, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Albert Canfield A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Albert Canfield is a recently retired stone crab fisherman out of Naples.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz Naples, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Matt Davie A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Interview with charter boat captain Matt Davie, of Inshore Addict Charters.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz Sarasota, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Richard Wahrenberger A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Richard Wahrenberger is the owner of City Seafood, a restaurant and seafood market in Everglades City. The only Red Tide event he has personally noticed was when he lived in Madeira Beach, some 50 years ago. He generally believes that Red Tide doesn't occur near Everglades City.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz Everglades City, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
George "Bem" Storter A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

George "Bem" Storter is a Naples native and is 83 years old at the time of this interview. He hasn’t been out on the water in around 20 years (since the net ban) but he is known throughout Naples as being a wealth of information. He commercial fished before the net ban and has been recreationally fishing since then. 

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz Naples, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
William Thompson A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Captain Will Thompson is a seasoned fisherman with over 25 years of experience fishing in the Sarasota area. For the past 15 years, he has been actively involved in the charter business, specializing in offshore and near shore fishing with extensive knowledge of targeting species like snapper, grouper, kingfish, goliath grouper, sharps, and cobia.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz, Karla Gore Sarasota, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Sandy Melvin A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Captain Sandy Melvin is a seasoned fishing guide with over 30 years of experience in the industry. He specializes in guiding fishing trips for snook, redfish, speckled trout, and tarpon in the backcountry and shallow waters of the Boca Grande area. Sandy also co-owns Gaspar Outfitters, a retail store with a focus on resort wear and outdoor clothing, alongside his wife.

Scope and Content Note

 Amanda Stoltz Boca Grande, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Rodney Raffield A History of Red Tide events on the West Coast of Florida

Rodney Raffield is a former stone crab fisherman and seasoned fishing guide with a 12-year charter fishing career. He comes from a family background in the stone crab industry and has extensive experience navigating the waters around Lostmans River and Cape Sable. Rodney has witnessed sporadic red tide events throughout his fishing history and offers valuable insights into their impact on marine life.

Scope and Content Note

 Suzana Blake Everglades City, FL Southeast Fisheries Science Center
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